Hi, this is Fred Wallace with ” Off the Wire “, brought to you by Hal Wright Chevrolet-Cadillac-GMC-Buick on the Sunset Strip in Owen Sound.
As the Memorial Cup progresses in Saskatoon leading to the Championship Game on Sunday, the process of ” next year ” for every Canadian Hockey League club is well underway.
One such example was two weeks ago when the OHL Gold Cup was conducted at Kitchener.
Owen Sound Attack Assistant Coach Drew Bannister was at the camp primarily in the role of evaluator as he’s entered the Hockey Canada Coaching stream and as such will be a member of the Ontario Under 17 Coaching Staff next season.
Now keep in mind, Bannister is far from flamboyant or prone to wild exaggerations when it comes to players or prospects.
Therefore, you have to accept his genuine enthusiasm about what’s ahead from a prospects standpoint with the Owen Sound Attack based on his observations.
In a nutshell, Bannister stated the following;
Ethan Szypula will play.
Tyler MacArthur has the size and skill to be an an Attacker on a blueline that has spaces to fill.
Carson Brookshaw may not make Under 17 or any of Canada’s international teams, but Owen Sound fans will love him- opposition fans will hate him.
High praise for Ryan Heeps out of Oshawa who could create a difficult decision for the brass come August
And Connor Walters may have been overlooked at the Gold Cup based on the blueline he shared with first rounders, but Bannister sees no issues.
Will Owen Sound have 5 underagers this year ? No way.
But over the course of the next two seasons, Drew Bannister’s perception is that the above 5, with progression, should be Attackers.
I’m Fred Wallace